📖 Meaning
Originally referring to a severe physical injury affecting muscles and bones. Metaphorically, it means something has suffered major damage or substantial harm, often implying a deep, structural disruption rather than a surface-level one.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Yuan dynasty anonymous zaju play 'The Butterfly Dream' (《蝴蝶梦》), Act Two. The line describes a beating so severe it injures sinews and bones, said to hurt even more than the ancient study methods of suspending one's head and piercing one's thigh. The imagery contrasts the physical trauma of being beaten with the self-inflicted discipline of legendary scholars Sun Jing and Su Qin, emphasizing the intensity of the suffering.
💡 Example Usage
这次金融危机让不少企业伤筋动骨，至今仍未恢复元气。
This financial crisis left many companies fundamentally damaged, and they have yet to recover their vitality.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 伤筋动骨
- Pinyin: shāng jīn dòng gǔ
- Literal Translation: injure, tendons, move, bones
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4